Dear Girl
by Amethyst L Ruby
Summary: Darla's second undead creation turns out much like her first.


_Some special notes: This is a completely fictional story using borrowed characters for entertainment purposes only. Obviously you should already know I don't own Angel, Spike, Dru, Darla, Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley et. al. _

_I would love to read reviews and am open to suggestions but as this is an AU type story I am not too worried about the facts of all of it although I will try to stick to some established basics so things don't get too confusing. =) _

_I don't remember all the exact details of dates/times/places etc from the show so for the sake of argument this is set not very long after Spike is turned. For the purposes of this story Penn was changed, left and then recently returned to the group. _

_Cara is my own creation. Others of my own creation will be mentioned as they enter the story._

_Oh, and Spike is called Spike because I have no idea when he decided to change his name and I'm having a hard enough time trying to remember to call Angel, Angelus. lol _

_Enjoy!_

Cara cast one final look at Angelus before turning to follow her companion down the alleyway. As soon as they were far enough away from the street for the light to fade Cara gently grabbed the man's arm and turned him to face her. She slid her arm along his until she reached his shoulder; slipping her hand from his body she braced herself on the wall and leaned in. The man-a mixture of intoxication and arousal-leaned back against the wall, his head tilted back in anticipation. Cara reveled in the scent of warm flesh and musky, male scent and had nearly reached her destination when a shrill voice rang out behind her:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Cara turned to see a small blonde woman with Penn not far behind. Still standing with her hand braced against the wall Cara, locked to the man and then cocked her towards the blonde, "You know her?"

There was an unrecognizable murmuring of what Cara had to assume were words as the blonde yanked the man away from the wall. Nearly toppling over from the excess weight, the woman half dragged, half carried her charge back out onto the street. Uncaring of her dinner being carted off, Cara sauntered over to Penn intent on pulling him apart bone by bone but before she could, another tiny blonde stepped into view.

"Leave me alone, Darla."

Cara hated the way Darla was always getting into her business. She was very insistent that Cara spend more time with Penn and Cara could only guess it was to keep the younger vampire away from Angelus. Cara figured Penn was here as part of Darla's punishment for she and Angelus having left together tonight.

Darla breezily pulled a hand through her golden hair, a light laugh escaping her carefully painted lips, "Darling, I just wanted to help you should you need it. We all know Angelus is not the most...patient...of teachers."

"He takes his time with what I need to know."

To her credit, although her eyes brightened at the implication, Darla did not take the bait. A small gloved hand grasped onto Penn's arm suggested he do the same.

Penn and Cara had been at each other from the very night of Cara's raising and Angelus did everything in his power to encourage it. Whether through his own inborn personality or not, Angelus preferred the company of "his girls" to the men.

Hearing the swishing of skirts the trio in the alleyway looked over as Drusilla rounded the corner first, followed by Spike and then Angelus who bypassed the couple to drop his arm casually around Cara's shoulders. Darla and Penn glanced at each other with a barely concealed eye roll.

Cara was Angelus' star pupil and his pride and joy. Completing her own first kill on her very first night she had gone on to learn several tricks that marked her as a skilled killer. Even The Master had praised Cara for her excellent work. Young, beautiful, dangerous. Like proud parents Angelus and Darla had beamed as The Master held Cara up as an example of how a vampire should be.

Angelus, in all fairness, _had_ attempted to teach Penn how to hunt but he proved himself nothing more than a copycat. Athletic and skilled enough to complete a kill he still lacked something and that made his work seem amateur and clumsy. Nearly everyone who met Penn instantly became leery of him which made hunting an absolute nightmare. Not only would Penn and his unfortunate plus one end up chasing down meals but he was an absolute pretentious bore. He seemed to know everything about everything and yet nothing all at the same time.

The group stood clustered in the alleyway ready for details about Cara's hunt but Penn and Darla had seen to it that she didn't have any. Cara glanced sadly up at Angelus before cutting her eyes to Darla in a pointed manner and then looking away. Just as she'd hoped, Angelus immediately became annoyed, "I do wish yu'd leave the girl alone, Darla. How's she gonna hunt if ya two are always both'rin 'er?"

Darla huffed, hands on hips, prepared to defend herself when they were interrupted by Drusilla bobbing and weaving and dancing around Spike. "What now" Darla snapped.

Choosing to ignore his special child, Angelus turned his attention back to Cara. "I'll take ya out. Yuv done good su far, yu'll only get better with me around." He pulled Cara closer to him and dropped his face to rest in her hair. Spike spared them a quick side glance before he was again engrossed in the music that continued to circle him.

Darla did not waste her time the second time around. Pulling Cara away from Angelus, "As her sire, _dear_, I should be the one to teach her. You've done quite enough" Darla's nasty tone belied her casual demeanor and overly fluttery eyelashes. Angelus laughed.

"Trust me, I cud do 'lot more."

Narrowing her eyes, Darla practically spat her next words at Angelus, "As I quite recall, I chose her and bestowed the gift. I took her on her first hunt where _she_ did all the work. You merely buy her things and teach her parlor tricks."

At the words 'parlor tricks' Angelus snorted with laughter causing Cara to break out into giggles and smack him on the arm. "Angel. Shhhh." They both stopped laughing long enough to stare at each other before breaking into howls of laughter. The two of them were very much alike and it concerned Darla that she had yet again given eternal life to an obnoxious smartass.

Although they all boasted ties as brothers, sisters and friends, Angelus acted in an almost paternal manner when it came to Drusilla and Cara. It was somewhat disconcerting. When not out hunting with Darla or enjoying her carnal pleasures, Angelus spent his time teaching Cara to draw and paint and he always seemed to have a new doll or trinket for Dru. Even now, he smoothed Cara's hair and readjusted her combs, giving her the once over to make sure nothing was out of place. As considerate as Angelus was of Cara, Darla was not a fool nor was she blind. The same thick, dark hair and green-gold eyes that caught victims' attention also turned the heads of Spike and Angelus. The long sweeping glances over the well-endowed hourglass shape were given by man and vampire alike. Judging by their reactions most of the time, Darla didn't believe Angelus or Cara were enjoying each other's company quite as much as she, herself, and Angelus did, but that didn't stop her from thinking that one day they might. The pair shared an odd almost human-like closeness and Darla had caught them more than once lounging on a sofa, wrapped in each other's arms, reading a book together.

Yanking herself away from her thoughts, Darla pressed her lips together in thought. Then she opened them to vocalize her sudden inspiration. Pressing herself against Angelus she stared up at him, opening her blue eyes wide. "I have a game. Boys against Girls. We'll see who raised the better vampire." Her husky words turned into laughter as Angelus groaned. He was stuck with Penn and was automatically the loser no matter how Cara did. And she always did well, he had seen to that himself.

Spike had finally stopped the perpetual motion that was Drusilla and had brought her over to listen. "Are there rules?" he asked just as Drusilla squealed and clapped. "A game!"

Penn and Cara stood on the outskirts as the four discussed perimeters, time limits and special circumstances. Finally it was decided that Drusilla and Spike would swap teams so that Darla, the oldest and most experienced, had the two newer vampires. Besides, Drusilla was liable to get out of hand without either Spike or Angelus around. The rules of the game were dangerously simple: Penn and Cara were to show the rest of the group what they could do. The winner would be allowed their choice of whatever they wanted.


End file.
